JAKARTA – Suicide bombers attacked three churches in Indonesia’s second-largest city of Surabaya on Sunday, killing at least three people and wounding 15 others, police said.
Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim-majority country and has seen a recent resurgence in homegrown militancy.
Police told media the attacks were carried out by “suicide bombers”.
“The victims are still being identified,” said Frans Barung Mangera, East Java police spokesman.
Media reports said at one church, a woman with a younger child and a teenager had just entered the church and was being questioned by security when the bomb exploded.
Television images showed toppled motorcycles and debris scattered around the entrance of one church and police cordoning off areas as crowds gathered.
Authorities were also investigating whether there was an explosion at a fourth church.
Police ordered the temporary closure of all churches in Surabaya, and a large food festival in the city was cancelled.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks.
The bombings come days after Islamist militant prisoners killed five members of an elite counter-terrorism force during a 36-hour standoff at a high security jail on the outskirts of the capital, Jakarta.
Indonesia has had some major successes tackling militancy inspired by al Qaeda’s attacks on the United States in 2001. But there has been a resurgence of Islamist activity in recent years, some of it linked to the rise of Islamic State.
The most serious incident was in January 2016 when four suicide bombers and gunmen attacked a shopping area in central Jakarta.
Churches have also been targeted previously, including near-simultaneous attacks on churches there at Christmas in 2000 that killed about 20 people. RTS – EP
Suicide bombers attack three churches in Indonesia, at least three dead
